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Post by Curtis on Jul 25, 2015 14:09:26 GMT -5
I can't seem to find any silica sand in my area, and I have some plants on order. I know I can just do peat/pearlite, but I wanted the top portion at least of my pots to be sand/peat as I'm not a huge fan of the look of pearlite. All i can find for sand in my area is K&E non silica sand. It says on the website
derived from the mineral ilmenite ore
I'm assuming this would be a big no no to use in a CP mix, even if washed? I just wanted this confirmed before I mix up my peat/pearlite.
Thanks
*edit: thats not the only sand I could find, but the only other options were play sand, and all purpose sand at the building center.
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Post by vraev on Jul 25, 2015 14:44:50 GMT -5
Honestly depends on the kind of mineral content. In general I would say no... If u have access to a TDS meter... I would try a small sample... soak in water....measure TDS, measure pH. Or if u have spare plants, try planting one and see how it does. To be fair, we do worry quite a bit about our soils...generally as long as it is low nutrient and no salts, CPs will pretty much grow in anything.
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Post by Curtis on Jul 25, 2015 16:45:58 GMT -5
Thanks. I do have a tds meter on order, but it's taking forever to get here. I don't have plants to spare at this point, so I'll just play it safe and use pearlite mix for now. I'll have to try planting something in this stuff at some point, as it's readily available near me. and I kinda like the way it looks
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Post by lloyd on Jul 25, 2015 17:31:05 GMT -5
Probably would be OK. Might stain the water due to rust.
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Post by Curtis on Jul 25, 2015 17:42:57 GMT -5
Probably would be OK. Might stain the water due to rust. Thats a good point. I'll mess around with it for a bit and find out. I was also looking at glow in the dark aquarium sand. Thinking the glow would attract bugs at night. Its plastic, so should be fine
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Post by vraev on Jul 25, 2015 18:33:03 GMT -5
I know some roots can be sensitive to light.... Not to mention effects of that light on development...probably may be ok...but u never know until u try. Personally if u have a limited collection and are just starting off...take the safe route with a simple peat perlite mix and that should suffice. If u run across extra plants at sales or garden centres then u can experiment with these. Just my 2 cents.
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Post by Curtis on Jul 25, 2015 19:15:01 GMT -5
I know some roots can be sensitive to light.... .... Personally if u have a limited collection and are just starting off...take the safe route with a simple peat perlite mix and that should suffice Yeah that's exactly what I plan to do. But I am looking forward to trying some of this stuff out when I have more plants. The gravel would only glow on the surface as it needs the sun to recharge. So I wouldn't be worried about the roots.
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Post by Curtis on Jul 25, 2015 19:23:02 GMT -5
Just my 2 cents. Getting 2 cents from someone of experience saves me many dollars. So thanks for your pennies.
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Post by amanitovirosa on Jul 25, 2015 22:46:21 GMT -5
...I see in one of your other posts that you are from SoOn (Southern Ontario), where abouts? There's a great place in Hamilton that sells any kind of silica sand you could want. Bell and Mackenzie, right on the bay. Security has to let you in because it's right where all the ships dock.
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Post by vraev on Jul 26, 2015 0:41:24 GMT -5
Really ?? A place in Hamilton? I drive there every day. lol .. I was concerned about the limited amount of sand I got. Might have to check that out amanitovirosa.
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Post by Curtis on Jul 26, 2015 8:12:55 GMT -5
I'm just west of St. Marys. Hamilton is almost 2 hrs away. I'm guessing there is somewhere in london that stocks it, If i look hard enough. I'm only 20mins from the edge of london. There are some pool supply places in Stratford I might look at as well. Why do pool supply places have silica sand? Do pool filters use it?
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Post by Curtis on Jul 26, 2015 8:30:44 GMT -5
Use KING Construction Sand for your landscape projects! This product is a grated, damp, medium-fine, natural sand. Available in 30 KG bags. KING has been Mixing Strength With Satisfaction since 1928. High quality, graded, damp, medium-fine, natural sand Ideal for blending custom, cement-based mixes Use for landscaping or displays Great for use as a soil conditioner Ready to use What about this one? anyone have any experience with this stuff? It sells from Home depot
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Post by amanitovirosa on Jul 26, 2015 14:32:53 GMT -5
...Curtis, I would not use the construction sand. It's good for mixing mortar and cement but I wouldn't use it in any media mix. Yes, silica sand is used for water filtration purposes, that's why pool places may have it (I don't know, I've never had to go to one).
...vraev, I don't know if you know Hamilton well but Bell & Mackenzie is at the end of Sherman Ave. Take Sherman, go all the way to the end, towards the lake, north. There's a security gate there, you talk to them through the speaker. Once you're through the gate, make a left, pass a couple of train tracks and it will be on your left hand side. You can't miss it. I had problems finding it my first time. From what I can remember it's about $15 a 50lb bag. They have samples in little bottles in the office. I use the 12 ST (comes in a brown paper bag) and the coarser #8 pool filter sand (comes in a yellow plastic bag). I've already posted about this place in the materials board. You'll never have sand problems again! Cheers.
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Post by vraev on Jul 27, 2015 14:17:04 GMT -5
Haha. Been going to school in hamilton since 2004. But never really explored out of school area... So sad. Lol But well. Thanks so much. Will keep it in mind for next time. Was planning on a outdoor big container. Let's see.
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